Change is hard. It can be exciting and exhausting, life-giving and tiring. But who said the Christian walk was going to be easy? Indeed, if we are to interpret the timeless gospel of Jesus Christ to our own time and place, it’s going to be hard. But it’s worth it.

In Genesis 12, the word of the LORD came to Abram. Abram was told to leave everything he knew and go to the land God would show him. This call came with a promise: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you… all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, just as the LORD had told him. He was seventy-five years old when he set out on the journey.

Now, there were times when Abram probably regretted taking this journey, times in which he wanted to turn back. We know that Abram struggled with doubt. But in Genesis 15, when God stepped in and reminded Abram of the promise he had made, Abram believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

And God fulfilled his promise.

You might be saying, “Well, that’s all fine and dandy. That’s great for Abram, but what does it have to do with me?” God has made us promises as well and we can trust that God will keep his promises. Like God’s promise to Abram, God’s promises to us might seem crazy. They will probably not be fulfilled in our “perfect” timing, and they will

almost certainly call us to step outside of our comfort zone. But if we step out in faith and trust God’s promises, the world will be better because of it.